Today I’m here to talk to you about making the most of your rented garden. I’ve collaborated with CIA Landlords for this sponsored post and hope that you find it useful. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you put your own stamp on a rented garden.
Sometimes the garden in your rental property can feel like an overwhelming responsibility, or it can feel like a tiny strip of land too small to do anything with. The good news is that, no matter its size, there are loads of ways to make your garden your own without taking a chunk out of your security deposit.
Make sure you check with your landlord before making any major changes (even if it’s just to notify them that you’d like to paint something but will make sure it’s returned to its original condition before your tenancy ends). You don’t want to dig up a patch of earth to rebuild fences, make flower beds, or even just try and install a stand alone washing line and accidentally rupture water or gas mains. Your landlord might have insurance but that still won’t look too good for you!
Green thumb
Whilst you might not be able to make your own private jungle in your garden, you can still fill up your available space with as many plants as you like. It’s a good idea to consider plants like cacti, succulents, and wax plants for your garden no matter where you live. These grow slowly and live a long time, on top of being adaptable and thriving in many different conditions. Many of them will also shoot out beautiful flowers during spring and summer.
Try to mostly use potted plants for your rented garden, as these will be easier to care for and take with you when you leave – and less likely to invade the gardens of your neighbours! Mixing and matching textures and colours of plants and the pots you put them in is a great way to make your garden feel vibrant and varied. If you’re short on space, you could consider climbing plants or vertical planters, or even more creative solutions like using old tin cans for small cuttings of plants and nailing these to your fence.
Get arty
We’ve all seen badly maintained rental gardens before, and aside from the lengthy grass and weeds, the badly maintained fences are the first thing to draw the eye. If your fences are bringing your garden down, repaint them! They’re easy to repaint when you leave too, which means your landlord will be left very happy with the state of your little garden.
You could paint a mural, especially if you have a little one who likes to get a bit messy! You could also paint flowers up your fence posts, or use chalkboard paint so you can leave little messages and drawings for your family or housemates. The possibilities are near enough endless. If it’s simplicity or subtlety you’re after though, you could just give the fence a little TLC by giving it a lick of paint in your favourite colour.
Light it up
Even if you’re not lucky enough to have a rental property with a sun trap for a garden, you can make the most of balmy summer evenings with some choice outdoor lighting. If you’ve got tall trees or high fence posts you can string pretty fairy lights up, or invest in some hanging lanterns for lower branches. There are also post or ground lights – great for illuminating pathways or seating areas – which you can just push into the ground and then pull up and take with you when you leave. You can buy battery operated versions of both of these, but there are also solar options for the environmentally conscious amongst you.
Candlelight is also an underrated way to light your garden, especially if you want to create a cosy or romantic vibe. Citronella candles and torches are an amazing way to get the perfect atmosphere whilst keeping the creepy crawlies away!
Turn on the water works
A garden pond seems like the next natural step, right? Whilst your landlord might object to you digging up a metre or so of land and pouring in water, fish, tadpoles, and plants, there’s a way to get the effect you’re after without all that effort. Old wine or whiskey barrels can make great DIY ponds. Fill them with a pond liner and get to it! These little ponds are lovely to fill small corners of your garden, and they’re great to grow water lilies or aquatic plants in. The best part is that when you leave you can just dump the water down your drain and take the barrel and plants with you!
Take your home outside
After all this, it might be hard not to spend all your time outside in your beautiful little rented garden. Make sure you carve out somewhere in your garden for you to spend your time. Whether its a folding table and chairs that you can use for entertaining and date nights, or a pretty picnic blanket and pillows that you can bring in and out with you easily, or even a luxurious little chill spot with a hammock or outdoor beanbags – you’ll find a way to really bring your personality and sense of style to your garden.
Your garden is as much a part of your home as your bedroom or kitchen. Make it your own so you can make the most of it!